THIS is the moment a Russian drone slammed into a petrol station in Ukraine’s border city of Sumy during a blitz that left three people dead.
Chilling footage showed the unmanned aircraft plunging directly into the forecourt before erupting in flames, sending debris and black smoke billowing over nearby homes.
Cars were left mangled and windows shattered in a blast witnesses described as “hell unleashed”.
Three people were killed in the carnage, including seven-year-old Diana, who died later in hospital.
At least three more were injured in what Kyiv branded another act of Russian “terror”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the savage wave of attacks showed Vladimir Putin’s intent to “destroy everything”.
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“Russia continues its terrorist war against life,” he said.
“It is important that every such vile attack on civilians returns to Russia with concrete consequences – sanctions and real pressure.
“We expect that America, Europe, and the G7 countries will not ignore Moscow’s desire to destroy everything.
“New steps in pressure are needed: on the Russian oil and gas industry and finances, secondary sanctions on those who sponsor this war.”
Vladimir Putin unleashed one of the most savage overnight bombardments of Ukraine this year, causing Nato warplanes to roar into the skies over Eastern Europe.
The brutal show of defiance came just as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping vowed to work together to end the war.
The Kremlin’s 52 missiles and 653 drones rained fire across Ukraine’s cities, knocking out power in every region and plunging millions into darkness and winter looms.
The strikes hit thermal and hydroelectric plantsrailways, and oil and gas depots in a calculated attempt to cripple Ukraine‘s energy grid.
The Ladyzhynska thermal power plant in Vinnytsia region was among several energy facilities targeted during frenzied Russian overnight attacks.
In Burshtyn, in western Ivano-Frankivsk region, water and heating was cut.
And in Zaporizhzhia, six children – three boys and three girls – were among 13 injured when a dormitory was ripped apart.
Rescue workers feared more victims lay buried in the rubble.
Russia unleashed its strategic bombers in one of the year’s most intense strikes which included Kinzhal – or Dagger – hypersonic missiles as well as Kalibrs and Iskanders.
As the barrage intensified, Nato fighter jets in Poland were scrambled amid what Warsaw called the “highest state of alert along its border”.
Poland’s operational command said: “Due to the Russian Federation’s attack on targets located in Ukrainian territory, Polish and allied air forces have begun operating in our airspace.
“Duty fighter pairs and an early warning aircraft have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest level of alert.”
Two Polish airports, Radom and Lublin, were temporarily closed “for the duration of the operations” as air patrols intensified.
Poland confirmed its forces were ready to respond “immediately” to any incursion.
Just a day earlier, Polish MiG-29s had intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane flying with its transponder off in a stark reminder of the hair-trigger tension along Nato’s frontier.
Analysts said the overnight assault was no coincidence.
The strikes appeared timed to coincide with Trump’s face-to-face meeting with Xi in South Korea – the first between the US and Chinese leaders since 2019 – in what looked like a deliberate attempt by Putin to sabotage their fledgling peace efforts.
Trump said he and Xi had spoken “for a long time” about the war.
“Ukraine came up very strongly,” he said.
“We talked about it for a long time. And we’re both going to work together to see if we can get something done.
“We’re going to work together to try and get the war with Russia and Ukraine solved.”
DONE DEAL
Trump’s dramatic meeting with Xi in Busan came after months of escalating trade warfare that saw the two superpowers trade tariff for tariff.
Just weeks ago, Trump threatened “extraordinarily aggressive” 100% levies on Chinese imports, calling Beijing’s export controls a “moral disgrace.”
But on Thursday, the tone flipped. The 100-minute session ended with Trump whispering something to Xi before declaring the summit a “great success.”
He said deals were struck on rare earth minerals, fentanyl and soybeans – issues that have plagued relations between Washington and Beijing.
Rating the talks “a 12 out of 10”, Trump added: “It was an amazing meeting. He is a great leader. A lot of important decisions were made.”
Trump later told reporters aboard Air Force One that China would resume exports of rare earths, critical to US defence and tech industries, and buy “tremendous” amounts of American soybeans.
In return, he promised to reduce tariffs.
“There’s no roadblock at all on rare earths – that will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary,” he said.
Xi, more reserved, called for steady cooperation despite differences.
“Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other,” he said. “It is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.”
The two agreed to reciprocal visits in 2026, with Trump heading to Beijing in April, and Xi to fly to Washington later in the year.
They also hinted at a formal trade deal “pretty soon.”
The Busan meeting capped a day of high-stakes diplomacy that also saw Trump announce new US nuclear weapons testing orders.
Hours before sitting down with Xi, Trump stunned Washington by ordering the Pentagon to “immediately” resume testing America’s nukes – the first such move in three decades.
The order came amid a fresh round of nuclear posturing from Moscow.
Putin boasted that Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile and an “unstoppable” Poseidon underwater drone.
Both weapons, he claimed, could outpace and out-dive any Western defence.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”
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He said the US already has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal – ahead of Russia and China – but warned Beijing could catch up “within five years.”
“Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!” he added.